More Articles

Yemen’s president said yesterday that he personally approves every U.S. drone strike in his country, and he described the remotely piloted aircraft as a technical marvel that has helped reverse al-Qaida’s gains.

President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi also provided new details about the monitoring of counter-terrorism missions from a joint operations center in Yemen that he said is staffed by military and intelligence personnel from the United States, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Hadi’s comments mark the first time he has publicly acknowledged his direct role in a campaign of strikes by U.S. drones and conventional aircraft targeting an al-Qaida franchise that is seen as the most-potent terrorist threat to the United States.

“Every operation, before taking place, they take permission from the president,” Hadi said. Praising the accuracy of the remotely operated aircraft, he added: “The drone technologically is more advanced than the human brain.”

The U.S. Joint Special Operations Command and the CIA have carried out 33 airstrikes in Yemen this year, up from 10 in 2011, according to the Long War Journal website, which tracks drone attacks.